


precious metal

by awkwardwritersyndrome



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Engagement, F/F, I had to really stretch to fit my wuko and korvirasami agenda in here, I managed not to make this smutty, Suggestive Themes, god opal is awful, that's called growth, yes sokka is dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26281048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awkwardwritersyndrome/pseuds/awkwardwritersyndrome
Summary: Lin should never, ever, ever plan fancy dinner outings. Luckily she has a partner to keep her sane.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Kya II
Comments: 9
Kudos: 115





	precious metal

Pema couldn't quite figure out why Tenzin was so antsy. He was prone to blushing and incapable of hiding his emotions, but that night he was exceptionally jumpy. They were sitting at the end of a very long table in a local restaurant, all their family and friends were gathered in a private room off the main dining area. Korra and Asami were the first to arrive, followed by Mako and Wu, the new ‘it couple’ of the Krew. Bolin and Opal came soon after and wasted no time with their canoodling at the table, much to Bumi’s chagrin. Jinora and Kai tried their hardest to be invisible and not draw attention to themselves as the youngest in attendance. A month prior, everyone had received a special invitation to the dinner from an unusual host - Lin Beifong. Tenzin was one of a few guests who knew why.

Lin was standing at the door with her arms crossed, staring impatiently at the clock mounted on the wall. “My sister. Always fashionably late,” she griped.

Kya moved behind her and wrapped her arms around Lin’s waist. “Why so tense? It’s just Su being Su.” Lin startled at the soft unexpected touch but quickly settled into Kya’s warmth. She tried to keep her composure but it was a big night, everything needed to go perfectly.

While Kya talked her down, Toph shuffled over to the intertwined women and announced that she was headed to the bathroom. Lin twisted her face into an offended scowl. “You don’t have to tell the whole restaurant, mother.” 

“I was talking to Katara.” Her old friend was a few feet away, smiling at the way Lin leaned into Kya’s arms. Katara always hoped to see her daughter as happy as she was with Lin. 

The younger Water Tribe woman pulled away from her partner and took her mother’s hand. “Do you all know where the bathroom is?”

“Kya, sweetie, only one of us is blind. We’ll be fine.” 

The elderly duo disappeared into the crowd of tables and waiters just as a group came in off the street. It was Suyin, Baatar Sr., BJ and Kuvira. If Lin didn’t know any better she would’ve thought it was Su’s big night. All four of them were dressed in high end cocktail attire, deep greens and greys with polished metal adornments. They were led to the private room by the hostess and greeted by the irritable police chief. 

“Lin! So good to see you,” Suyin sang. She reached out for a hug but was halted by her older sister metalbending her bracelets and collar. 

“You’re late” Lin growled.

Hoping to avoid an argument, Baatar Sr. did his best to turn on the witty charm and smooth things over. He blamed their tardiness on wind and overcast but Lin was not interested in the excuses. She herded the family into the room and rushed them to their seats. Kuvira took the empty seat next to Korra, catching side eyes from Asami who sat on the other side of the Avatar. Kuvira smirked at the jealousy in Asami’s eyes. It was amusing to receive such energy from an established CEO who would otherwise be incredibly secure and confident. 

Toph and Katara returned from the bathroom and sat across from Varrick and Zhu Li. Finally, the entire party was seated and ready for drinks and appetizers. Midway through the small bites and cocktails, Varrick leaned over and signaled for Lin to lean in too. He puckered his lips and talked out the side of his mouth. “When should I have the camera guys come in? I got four of them coming but I can bring more.”

“You what?!” Lin’s voice was louder than expected, causing Varrick to jerk his head back.

Kya whipped around in her seat, cutting off the conversation with her brother. She didn’t ask Lin what was wrong but Kya’s eyes expressed enough concern to make her girlfriend feel guilty. Lin rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. This dinner....so far, so bad.

She grabbed Kya’s hand under the table and gave it a reaffirming squeeze, a weary smile on her face. When she felt sure that Kya was at ease, she locked eyes with Mako and nodded towards the door, directing him to meet her out of earshot. 

Once they were in the hallway Lin unraveled, wrought with panic and desperate to get the night under control. “What the hell is happening? Varrick has a camera crew, we’re an hour behind schedule, Kuvira’s in the wrong seat, and who invited Tenzin’s kid and her boyfriend?!”

Mako wasn’t sure how to respond, or where to start, but he had to say something. As he fixed his mouth to comfort his old boss, Wu joined them outside the doorway. “Have no fear, Wu is here.” He curtsied dramatically, always one for theatrics. “I’m a master event planner. Let me help.” Mako couldn’t hide his brimming pride.  _ That’s my boyfriend,  _ he thought to himself. Lin, however, was not as impressed. “Well go on, we’re already behind!”

“Okay, here’s the plan: we’ll skip the salads to save time, order everyone the same thing for dessert so they can prepare it while we eat the main course, have Varrick keep  _ one _ camera guy, and have Mako hand you the ring because Korra is definitely going to forget the signal.”

_ Now _ Lin was impressed. She raised one brow, folded her arms, and huffed. “Not bad, Snooty Pants.”

“Heyyy, I denounced the throne. I’m a research assistant now. A normal, average, everyday-”

“Alright, that’s enough big guy.” Mako cut Wu off and pulled him back into the room. Lin shook her head wearily.  _ Please just let this work out. _

It didn’t work out. Opal openly complained about the lack of salad until the waitress brought her one, setting off a chain reaction of side orders. When dessert came - a simple strawberry sorbet - everyone found out that Zhu Li is allergic to strawberries. Then, with all the hysterics over a little anaphylaxis, Mako  _ and _ Korra missed the signal to get the ring. 

Sometime around 10PM, Lin gave up. She stood from the table and coarsely thanked everyone for coming. The guests that were in-the-know frowned, disappointed with the lack of a spectacle. Lin probably rolled her eyes one hundred times that evening, completely fed up with her family and friends.  _ What a disaster! _

Tenzin and Pema were the last to leave. The towering man asked his wife to call his bison over while he said goodnight to his oldest friend. “Not what you planned, huh?”

“I’m not in the mood, Tenzin.” Lin slapped her palm to her face, exhausted and defeated.

“I’m not teasing, Lin. I know how hard you worked on this and I’m sorry it didn’t turn out how you envisioned it.” He was standing close to Lin, the way they  _ used _ to stand. His face was soft and sympathetic, Lin hated it, but found comfort in his presence. “All the grand gestures are for the family. What really matters is that you want to spend the rest of your life with her, that you’re in love...You do love her, right?”

Lin’s guarded facade dissipated, replaced by a tender glow. “More than I knew I could.”

Tenzin wrapped Lin into a hug that she didn’t ask for, didn’t want, and couldn’t refuse. Midway through it she hugged him back, her first love, her best friend. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice too low for him to hear. 

As the airbender left, Kya met Lin at the head of the table, the room was empty and finally quiet. Instead of recapping the botched night, she rubbed her hands over Lin’s shoulders and down her arms. Lin studied Kya’s smile, faint like a secret, but brilliant and enchanting. She pulled Kya into her body, holding her tightly, remembering why she planned this night at all. “Let’s go home.”

* * *

They’d been together almost two years and hadn’t found a reason to move out of Lin’s one bedroom apartment. It was spacious enough without feeling like they needed to fill it with appliances and babies. The two of them fit perfectly in the space. 

Settling in for the night was a beautiful dance, Lin thoughtlessly bending their buckles and zippers, Kya peeling off their coats and pants. A tea kettle floats down from the hook above the sink to the stovetop, the metal knob turns, sparking a flame. Kya settles into her corner of the couch as she streams water into the pot. Lin does the same on her side, waving her hand to lower the stylus onto her favorite record, then music fills the room. Kya stretches her feet over Lin’s lap and picks up a book from the coffee table. They sit, unconcerned with the hour or the silence, content to hear each other breathe.

They share several cups of tea and laugh about the calamitous dinner. Varrick almost keeled over when he saw Zhu Li’s face swelling from the allergic reaction. Korra squirmed in her seat the entire night, sandwiched between two domineering women that wanted to unclothe her. Bumi spent the better part of the evening doing impersonations of Tenzin until his younger brother was red in the face. 

“What made you plan such a big dinner anyway?” Kya inquires innocently but Lin’s face reveals the presence of ulterior motives. “You’re keeping a secret from me,” she says, her eyes narrowed, flashing a playful smirk. 

Lin rolled her eyes for the 101st time to avoid eye contact, she wasn’t good at lying to Kya and those blue eyes always brought Lin to her knees. Kya knew as much and took full advantage. She crawled across the couch and climbed on top of Lin. Perched on her lap there was no escaping, Kya was in control. “Don’t play hard to get, Lin.”

The police chief bit her lower lip to keep from confessing. Her heart ached as she gazed up at her wildest dreams come to life, feeling endless and tethered all at once. In her darkest days she begged the spirits for peace, for her mind to quiet, and her heart to heal. For so long she felt broken, a woman without legacy or purpose, destined to spend the rest of her nights in a half-empty bed.

Then there was Kya, right where she had always been. A friend before anything else, the girl next door, present but never expecting. It made sense that a woman like Lin, who’d been beaten down by life, would find the promise of love with a healer like Kya. Lin was a mess of ill-fitting pieces, Kya was an elixir of peace. This was the love they deserved.

“I love you,” Lin crooned. She snuck her hands under Kya’s night shirt and caressed the small of her back. “I don’t always feel like I deserve this, or you. I’m so incredibly lucky.”

Kya was speechless, she wasn’t expecting such endearing words from her charmingly brash partner. She cupped Lin’s face and stole a bruising kiss. Her chest threatened to burst open with affection and need. She felt drunk when she pulled away for air.

It took a moment for Kya to realize what she was looking at as she sat up, a black ring floating between them. “Lin…” A breathless declaration. Her stomach fluttered with anticipation.

“My mother thought your uncle’s meteorite would make a fine engagement ring.”

The tears were impossible to stifle as they welled in Kya’s eyes. She missed Sokka dearly. He was a constant when Aang got busy with Tenzin. His tales of mastering sword fighting were Kya’s favorite as a child. She reached out and plucked the ring from the air. It felt cool and perfectly smooth, exactly how she had imagined.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Fitting for a woman like you.” Lin guided the ring onto Kya’s left hand and instantly fell in love with the sight. Her fiancée.

“You really want to marry me,” Kya asked timidly, it didn’t feel real. 

This time Lin was the one to take Kya’s mouth with her own, soft and impassioned. “I would be a fool not to.”

The next kiss was hard to break from. They lost their night clothes well before they managed to pause, stumbling from the living room to their bed, letting their hands get reacquainted with muscle, and skin, and hair. 

Finally, they took a moment to drink it in. “Is that a yes?” Lin panted, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway. 

“Yes. In this lifetime and the next.”

By morning, the engagement ring was all either of them had on, tangled in the covers, blissfully hungover from a night of falling in love again, and again, and again. 

**Author's Note:**

> My drunk mind wants so badly to write this sex scene but my sober mind wanted fluff. So here we are. Thanks for reading this fluffiness


End file.
